The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Self-driving or “autonomous” vehicles generally employ sensors, such as light detection and ranging (lidar) devices, to detect or “see” the surrounding environment as the vehicles move toward their destinations. Such vehicles include self-driving control systems that process the sensor data and, based on both the sensed environment and the desired destination, determine which maneuvers and operational states (e.g., speed, braking force, steering direction) are most appropriate on a more or less continuous basis throughout the trip. Accomplishing this task can be extremely challenging, due in large part to the virtually infinite number of different scenarios that such vehicles may encounter, as well as stringent safety requirements with respect to both the autonomous vehicle passengers and any individuals who may be in the general vicinity of the autonomous vehicles.